Zither piano



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-She'efi 1.

W. P. GUTTE. ZITHERPIANO.

No. 468,987. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

- INVENT UP;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. GUTTE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOSEPH MELGER, ALPIIONSE IV. SCHENUIT, AND HENRY F. SOHENUIT, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

ZlTHER-PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,987, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed June 5. 1891. Serial No. 395,180. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. GUTTE, of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Zither-Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in certain attachments to a zither, whereby the same is played through the medium of keys after the manner of a piano, as will hereinafter fully appear.

[0 In the description of the said invention which follows reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the zitherpiano with certain parts thereof removed.

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 00 at. Fig. 3 is a section of a part of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 3 y and enlarged. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged details of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A is the frame of the zither, consisting of a sounding-board a and the pieces I), to which the strings a are attached by means of the pins 1) and the winding-stems c. This frame is placed within a case B, having a front hinged cover d.

O O are the keys for the natural notes, and D D are those for the half-notes, the whole being arranged side by side after the manner 0 of the keys of a piano. The keys are fulcrumed at e and confined thereat by the pins f. The front ends of the keys are guided in their vertical movement by means of the pins g, which project from the cross-piece E. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The rear ends of the keys rest when in a normal position on the cushioned strip F. The said keys at the rear ends are each fitted with a horizontally-vibrating arm Gr, pivoted to the said key at h. At the outer end of each arm G is a branch arm II, with its upper end i and a portion 3' of its lower end beveled in the same direction. (See Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and '7.) WVhen the keys are in their normal position, the beveled ends j of the branch arms H rest Within notches 712 in a strip I, the surfaces of which are covered with felt, (denoted by Z.)

J is a notched strip corresponding in all essential particulars with the one I, placed over and a short distance above the upper beveled ends i of the branch arms H.

K K are wire fingers coiled near the center into eyes, as shown particularly in Fig. 8, which illustrates two views of a finger. These fingers are attached by screws m to the lower 5 5 ends of the branch arms 11. The upper and longest end of each finger K bears against a screw 0 and the other end is below and under a string a. IVhen the key is depressed, as in playing, the branch arm H is'raised and the lower end of the wire finger K strikes and passes the string a, thereby giving the sound of a note. The upper movement of the branch arm is vertical until its upper beveled end i strikes the inclined surface of the notched strip J directly over it, when it glances, and, following the inclined surface, it is carried to one side and the wire finger K moved from over the string. As the key is released the branch arm falls in a vertical line clear of the string until the beveled lower end j strikes the inclined surface of the notched strip I, when it is moved laterally and assumes its original position with the wire finger K under the string. 7 5

From the foregoing it will be understood that the point of the Wire finger K describes a rhoinbus or the figure represented in the diagram marked Z, which is enlarged.

The foregoing description of the operation of one note or key applies to all.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a zither-piano, a system of keys having vibratory arms carrying fingers, and deflecting-surfaces to carry the said fingers laterally after they have struck the strings and others to conduct them back to their original positions after the keys are released, substantially as specified.

2. In a zither-piano, the keys having horio zontally-vibrating arms with branches having beveled ends, combined with notched strips arranged above and below the said branch arms, whereby the wire fingers are made to describe a figure corresponding to a rhombus 5 in the operation of sounding a note, substantially as specified.

\VILLIAM F. GUTTE.

W itn esses WM. T. HOWARD, DANL. FISHER. 

